Self-locking milk-bottle receptacle.



M. HOBIN. SBLFLOGKING MILK BOTTLE REGEPTAGLE. APPLICATION FILED PEBJ, 1911.

1,047,228. r rammed De.17,1912.

rUNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN HOBIN, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM H. HOBIN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

SELF-'LOCKING MILK-BOTTLE RECEPTACLE.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MARTIN HOBIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the co-unty of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Locking Milk-Bottle Receptacles, lof which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in self locking milk bottle receptacles, the object of the invention being to provide a simple, inexpensive receptacle adapted to be sesecured to the frame of a door, and which is closed at one end by the door of the house, and at its other end by the door of the receptacle, the latter self locking when bottles are in the receptacle, and permitted to open and close when the receptacle is empty.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim. i'

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, is a view in longitudinal section illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2, is a view in cross section. Fig. 3, is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the receptacle empty. Fig. l, is a fragmentary view in horizontal section. Fig. 5, is a detail perspective view of the spring wire frame, and Fig. 6, is an enlarged view of the latch shown in Fig. 8.

1, represents a receptacle preferably rectangular in general form, and having an inclined top 2 to shed the weather. This receptacle is open at its inner and outer ends, and is adapted to be secured against the side of a door frame by means of screws 3, securing a metal tab 4. The receptacle is so positioned that the house door 5 closes the inner' end of the receptacle, while the outer end of the receptacle is closed by a hinged door 6, which is manipulated by means of a knob 7. On the outer face of door 6, a latch bar 8 is pivoted and adapted to engage a notched keeper 9 secured in the receptacle. This notched keeper is formed of a sheet metal blank having a bent eXtension forming an eye 10, which serves as a guide for the wire frame 11. This wire frame constitutes a bail 12 secured at the ends to the bottom 13 of receptacle 1, in such a manner that the bail is positioned at an incline, and as the bail is of spring wire,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led February 1, 1911.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

Serial No. 605,935.

an upwardly projecting arm 14 on said bail is normally held in its highest position. This arm 14 is guided in the eye-10 above referred to, and is bent forming a horizontal finger 15 normally positioned in line with notched keeper 10, so that when the door is closed, this linger 15 will hold the pivoted latch bar out of the keeper.

16, is a platformwhich is provided on its under face adjacent one end with hooks 17a to engage the free end of bail 12. This platform 16 is adapted to receive the milk bottles 17 sho-wn in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the weight of said bottles depresses the platform and the wire frame supporting the same, so as to move'the finger 15 out of the path of latch bar 8, so that the latter, when door 6 is closed, will move into the keeper and lock the door.

When the house door 5 is open, the bottle may be readily removed through the opening normally closed by the house door, and when the bottles are removed, the spring frame 11 will move upwardly, finger 15 engaging the latch bar 8 and lifting it out of the notched keeper 9, so that the door 6 may be opened and closed at will. It will therefore be noted that when the device is in position, it is simply necessary for the milksman t0 place the milk bottles in the receptacle, and close the door 6, which will be securely locked as above explained. This `door 6, however, cannot be locked until the milk bottles or some other weight are on platform 16 to depress the wire frame 11 for when the latter is elevated, linger 15 prevents the latch bar 8 from falling into keeper 9.

While the knob 7 and latch bar 8 are shown in the drawings as being connected, their operation is entirely independent. The knob is Xed and has no control whatever over the latch bar, the latter moving solely by gravity, its movement being limited by a staple 18.r

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described, without departing from` my invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device of the character described, comprising a receptacle open at both ends, one end adapted to be closed by a house door, a hinged door on the other end of the receptacle, a latch bar pivotally connected to the door positioned transversely on the inner face of the door, a recessed keeper iiXed in the receptacle and adapted to receive the latch bar locking the door in closed position, a U-shaped spring frame secured at its ends to the bottom of the receptacle, and normally positioned at an incline, an upwardly projecting arm on the frame secured to said frame and comprising a piece of wire bent at its upper end at rightI angles forming a finger on said arm projecting across the recess in the keeper, holding the latch bar out of the keeper until weight is applied on the platform, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN HOBIN. Witnesses R. H. KRENKEL, CHAs. E. Po'rrs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

